Improvement in railway-switches



c. c. SHELBY.

Railway-Switches.

Patented Feh.17,1874.

WITNESSES mr VEJvToR I Y das@ f Ml@ @www lINrrEn SrA'rEs PATENT GFFIGE.

CHRISTOPHER c. SHELBY, or srRrNe VALLEY, New YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent To. 141%',695, datedFebruary 17, 1874 application led December 12, 1873.

CASE E.

To 4all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, CHRISTOPHER G. SHEL- BY, of Spring Valley, in thecounty of Rockland and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Railroad-Switch 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be afull and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawingformin g part oithis specification, in which- Figurelis a plan, showing the switch open; and Fig. 2 is a plan, showing theswitch closed.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote thesame parts. p

The object of this invention is to improve the con struction andoperation ofrailroad-switches; and to this end the inventionconsists,first, in the novel combination of rails, weight, and lever, hereinshown and described; secondly, in the combination of a spring-lock withsaid rails; thirdly, in a novel device for strengthening the joint ofthe short movable rail at the junction of the proximate rails ofthe mainand the side track. l

In the drawings, A is the main track, consisting of the xed rails c,iXed guide-rail g, movable guide-rail g', movable rail al, and movablerail a2; and B is the side track, consisting of the fixed rails b b1 andmovable segment b2, which segment is united to the rail a2, as shown. CC are two transverse lock-bars extending across the road under therails, connectedtogether by a stift' rod, c, and held rmly in positionby a spira-l or other suitable spring, e', the bar C having a notchwhich engages with a pin or lug on the under side of the rail c2 b2 tohold them in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the bar C having asimilar notch, which, in like manner, engages with a pin or lug on theunder side of the rail a1 or guide-rail g to hold the two last-mentionedmovable rails in the position represented in Fig. 2. D is a leverpivoted on a central fulcrum, and having one end connected, by a rod, d,to the swinging rail a2 b2, while the other end is connected, by a rod,d1, to the swinging double rail al g', so that the moving of one of thepivoted rails to open or close the switch will cause the other pivotedrail to move in an opposite direction to an equal extent. W is a heavyweight, supported on a bent rod or crank-shaft, F, for the purpose ofholding the switch properly in position when open, the lock-bars holdingit securely when closed. S is a signal-stati', supported by and turningwith the lever D, and provided with any suitable devices to indicate thecondition of the track 5 and V is a wedgeshaped block inserted betweenthe ends of the rails a b1 into the angular recess between the ends ofthe movable rail a2 b2, and capable of swinging with said rail a2 b1",its object being to strengthen the joint and hold all the rails inplace, and also to enlarge the bearingsuriace or tread of the rails a bat that end, and to make the passage ot' the cars over the jointsmoother and safer.

When the switch is open a train of cars coming along the main track inthe direction of the arrow, Fig. l, will close the switch and open themain track automatically, leaving the switch closed and locked.

In order, now, to open the switch it will be necessary to swing thelock-bars C C back, so as to disengage the lugs or pins from theirnotches, and then move the switch by hand, or the weight WV may be sohung that it will move rails and open the switch automatically wheneversaid lock-bars are disengaged from said pins or lugs.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the rails a2 b2 al g', rods(l d', and lever D with the main and side tracks, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified.

2. The lock-bars C C', connected by a rod,

c, and actuated by a spring, c', when combined with the swinging rails,substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The weight, crankshaft, and connectingrod, combined with the movablerails and lockbars, substantially as described, for the purposespecified.

4. The wedge-shaped movable block V, coinbined with the rails a bl andthe swinging rail a2 b2, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

CHRISTOPHER C. SHELBY.

Titnesses MELvrLLE CHURCH, N. K. ELLswoRTH,

